Chan-Wang Jerry Lio
Assistant Professor, Microbial Infection and Immunity
740 Biomedical Research Tower
460 W 12th Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
Areas of Expertise
- Cancer Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Gene Expression
Education
- PhD: Washington University
B cells produce antibodies and are crucial for the adaptive immune response against pathogens. The Lio lab is interested in understanding how B cell differentiation and response are regulated at the epigenetic level, with a focus on TET (Ten-Eleven Translocation) enzymes (TET1, TET2, TET3). TETs oxidize 5-methylcytosine on the DNA into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a demethylation intermediate and a stable epigenetic modification. In humans, TET2 loss-of-function mutations have been linked to hematological cancers and immunodeficiency. Our research aims to understand how TET and other factors regulate these biological processes. The findings may provide novel strategies to achieve desirable B cell antibody response and may reveal therapeutic targets for B cell malignancies.